Excellent Stop Sizewell Campaign Briefing - on Plethora of Reports

Posted: 30th November 2025

A plethora of documentation today

The Prime Minister published a “strategic steer” to the nuclear sector which emphasises the link between our civil and military nuclear programmes saying “Now is the time for every part of the system, lawfully and transparently, to push the boundaries of what is possible, to serve the national interest.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prime-ministers-strategic-steer-to-the-nuclear-sector/prime-ministers-strategic-steer-to-the-nuclear-sector-following-the-2025-nuclear-regulatory-taskforces-review

A guide to the application of ALARP and BAT also published which includes…

“Principle 1: Open-minded and flexible approach to how ALARP and BAT is demonstrated.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-industry-principles-to-guide-the-application-of-as-low-as-reasonably-practicable-alarp-and-best-available-techniques-bat/ways-of-working-principles-to-guide-the-application-of-alarp-and-bat-in-the-nuclear-industry-accessible-webpage

An updated Green Financing Framework was published which included nuclear energy as “green”, despite in July the government deciding not to adopt a green taxonomy.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6925b8119fd433badebc3171/E03494062_UK_Government_Green_Financing_Framework_2025_WEB_ACCESSIBLE.pdf

The OBR confirmed that the Sizewell C levy – which the OBR on the advice of Treasury classification experts has recorded as a nuclear tax - will cost consumers £4 billion over the period up to the end of this parliament, but given that these receipts are supposed to contribute to the financing costs of the project, it is presumably not available for public spending.

https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/OBR_Economic_and_fiscal_outlook_November_2025-8364713188.pdf, Para 3.56

There is no information about the government’s promise to “recycle” the revenue received from consumers as part of its own 44.9% share of the project, so we remain unclear how this will work, or what the receipts referred to above would be without this “recycling”.

The OBR has acknowledged that “The main uncertainty associated with this costing is the projected construction costs of Sizewell C during the forecast period. Previous nuclear power plant construction projects, such as Hinkley Point C, have taken longer to build and had higher costs than initially anticipated.”

https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/OBR_Economic_and_fiscal_outlook_November_2025-8364713188.pdf, Para 3.56

Stop Sizewell C said: “Announcements today have reinforced the government’s misguided belief that nuclear will be a cheap, “green” solution to our energy needs, but despite the Prime Minister’s “strategic steer” we are convinced that costs and delivery obstacles – as well as nuclear waste – will continue to rise, and not at the fault of regulators. We remain opposed to the imposition of a nuclear tax on households given the acknowledged uncertainty about the projected costs of constructing Sizewell C”